Victims battle gag order

MISSOURI
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

Posted by David Clohessy on January 06, 2012

In a new court filing, a support group for clergy sex abuse victims is asking a Kansas City judge to let its director talk about a six hour deposition he was forced by church defense lawyers to give this week.

SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org) formally asked Judge Anne Mesle to revise an order she handed down on Tuesday. It prohibits SNAP director David Clohessy from talking about the questioning he faced by lawyers for KC Bishop Robert Finn and for several accused pedophile priests.

“Kids are safer when victims, witnesses, journalists and advocates can speak and write freely about clergy sex crimes and cover ups and the tactics of Catholic officials in these cases,” said SNAP’s founder Barbara Blaine of Chicago.

SNAP leaders say this is the first time in the organization’s 23 year history any of its staff has ever been ordered to turn over records, or denied its ability to speak publicly.

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